Obstacles During a Screw Pile Installation - Steering and Excavation Solutions

GOLIATHTECH UNIVERSITY: TUTORIAL 5

At GoliathTech, we work on many different projects to find support solutions that work for you and fit best with your construction. In our 15-plus years of experience, we’ve encountered our share of obstacles and would like to share our know-how. As an example of a challenge that stalls an operation, what happens if you can’t continue with the installation of a helical pile?

SOLUTION #1: STEERING THE PILE

Usually, if we hit an obstacle like a big rock, we can do what we call in the industry, “steering the pile.” For example, say we’re installing our screw pile and the rock in question doesn’t move out of the way from the torque generated by the machine? And in this case, let’s make it really challenging in that it’s the corner support for a deck. If it’s not a corner screw pile, then we could move it over a bit as long as it’s in line and misses the rock. Yet for a situation like a corner pile, we would need to pull this screw pile back with our excavator and keep installing the pile so that our support bypasses the rock and then goes in straight. As this occurs, the force of the pile also usually pushes the rock out of the way.

SOLUTION #2: EXCAVATION

Another solution is that if the rock is too big and isn’t down too deep in the soil, we’ll install a “bucket” in our excavator and dig down to actually remove the rock. Again, this would be if we’re stuck in a corner spot of the deck with very little space to maneuver.

SHALLOW VS. DEEPER BEDROCK

In another article we spoke about the challenges of installing a helical pile into bedrock. We established that it doesn’t work well at all if it’s very shallow bedrock, yet for deeper bedrock, helical piles work very well. The reason is that, when we install the pile, 100% is on the steel that’s in the soil. 

For instance, if our 1 7/8” pile is maxed out at 8,000 pounds of compression load, some of these numbers will quadruple because now we’re referring to steel, and not the soil. Check out our Screw Pile System page for more about our double protection piles to increase longevity, and our Goliath Screw Piles Warranty Protection. The limiting factor to the capacity of a pile is never the steel, it’s always the soil and how tight you can screw the pile into the soil until we reach the deep bedrock.

About GoliathTech:

Do you work in the field of construction? For over 15 years, GoliathTech has integrated both strength and know-how to offer the best anchoring solution to support your residential and commercial projects. Our top-of-the-line helical screw piles are suited for any type of installation or application. Our installation service adapts to every soil type and does not damage the ground or any structures. Trust the experience and expertise of GoliathTech for your construction projects. Find a screw pile installer in your region or become a franchisee.